Moving to Finland from Greece

moving to

What to Expect

A comprehensive look at what changes when you move from Greece to Finland — from daily expenses to quality of life.

If you moved from Greece to Finland, you would find that Finland is 23.5% more expensive than Greece overall. A €67,000 salary in Greece would need to be roughly €82,700 in Finland to maintain the same lifestyle, and you’d need to navigate life in Finnish and Swedish. Expect a noticeable climate shift — Helsinki averages 48°F vs 72°F in Athens, making it significantly cooler.

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Is Finland cheaper than Greece?

The biggest cost differences at a glance

Restaurants

pay 22.0% more

Groceries

pay 13.4% more

Transportation

pay 25.1% more

Housing

pay 26.6% more

Childcare

pay 28.1% more

Entertainment and Sports

pay 43.8% more

See full cost of living breakdown

Data: MyLifeElsewhere's crowdsourced cost of living database, with prices submitted and updated by users worldwide. Exchange rates are refreshed regularly from public sources.

What salary do you need in Finland?

What does your salary buy?

€67,000 → €82,700

To maintain the same standard of living in Finland

Calculate with your salary →

Cost of living by city

Cost of living varies a lot by city. Each figure is a city's overall cost of living as a percentage of New York City (the priciest, = 100%).

On average, cities in Finland cost about 23% more than cities in Greece.

Greece

Xanthi 43%
Kavala 42%

Finland

Lahti 55%
Jyvaskyla 51%
Joensuu 51%

Compare cities head-to-head

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Who Else Is Making This Move?

Real numbers on people moving from Greece to Finland, and how the trend has changed.

Moved in 2023
140 ↓ 20% vs 2022

people moved from Greece to Finland · OECD (latest data available)

Who's moving to Finland?

Top countries of origin for Finland's foreign-born residents.

Foreign-born population · UN DESA (2020)

Key Indicator Comparison

How Greece and Finland stack up on safety, healthcare, jobs, and infrastructure.

Is it safe?

Homicide rate World Bank, 2023

per 100,000 people per year

GR
0.8
FI
1.0
Road traffic deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2021

per 100,000 people per year

GR
7.3
FI
4.2

Greece generally does better on safety, though Finland leads in road traffic deaths.

How's the healthcare?

Healthcare spending per person World Bank, 2023

annual government + private spending per person

GR
$3,454
FI
$6,433
Doctors per 10,000 people World Bank, 2022

affects wait times and access to care

GR
65.8
FI
36.1

Greece generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Finland leads in health coverage index.

What about the environment?

Air pollution deaths United Nations SDG Indicators, 2019

deaths attributable to air pollution per 100k people

GR
23.0
FI
7.0
CO₂ emissions per capita World Bank, 2024

tonnes of CO₂ emitted per person per year

GR
5.0t
FI
5.5t

Greece generally does better on environment, though Finland leads in air pollution deaths.

Will I have good infrastructure?

Broadband per 100 people World Bank, 2024

fixed broadband subscriptions — key for remote work

GR
44.7
FI
36.5
Water stress level World Bank, 2022

higher means greater strain on freshwater supply

GR
20.3%
FI
7.1%

Finland generally does better on infrastructure, though Greece leads in broadband per 100 people.

What are the job prospects?

Unemployment rate World Bank, 2025

percentage of the labour force without work

GR
8.5%
FI
9.5%
GDP per capita World Bank, 2025

a broad measure of economic output per person

GR
$26,948
FI
$56,149

Greece generally does better on employment & economy, though Finland leads in gdp per capita.

Is it good for families?

Life expectancy World Bank, 2024

average years of life at birth

GR
81.8 yrs
FI
82.3 yrs
Infant mortality World Bank, 2024

deaths per 1,000 live births — lower is better

GR
3.2
FI
1.9

Finland performs significantly better than Greece across all family life metrics.

Sources: World Bank (2021–2025), United Nations SDG Indicators (2019–2021), World Health Organization (2024), GSIS, Greece (2016), Finnish Tax Administration (2016). How we calculate this

Weather in Finland vs Greece

Monthly averages — select a city to compare.

Athens Rain: 16.3 in/yr (414 mm)
72° / 54°F

Avg. annual high / low

Helsinki Rain: 25.6 in/yr (650 mm)
48° / 34°F

Avg. annual high / low

Months Athens Helsinki
Jan–Mar 57°/42°F (14°/6°C) 29°/18°F (-1°/-8°C)
Apr–Jun 78°/57°F (26°/14°C) 58°/40°F (14°/4°C)
Jul–Sep 90°/67°F (32°/20°C) 65°/49°F (19°/10°C)
Oct–Dec 65°/50°F (18°/10°C) 38°/28°F (3°/-2°C)
View all months
Month Athens Helsinki
Jan 54°/41°F (12.5°/5.2°C) 27°/17°F (-2.6°/-8.5°C)
Feb 56°/42°F (13.5°/5.4°C) 27°/15°F (-2.9°/-9.3°C)
Mar 60°/44°F (15.7°/6.7°C) 34°/22°F (1.1°/-5.6°C)
Apr 68°/49°F (20.2°/9.6°C) 46°/31°F (7.5°/-0.7°C)
May 79°/57°F (26.0°/13.9°C) 60°/40°F (15.5°/4.4°C)
Jun 88°/65°F (31.1°/18.2°C) 68°/49°F (19.8°/9.3°C)
Jul 92°/69°F (33.5°/20.8°C) 71°/53°F (21.8°/11.8°C)
Aug 92°/69°F (33.2°/20.7°C) 68°/51°F (19.9°/10.7°C)
Sep 85°/63°F (29.2°/17.3°C) 57°/43°F (14.0°/6.1°C)
Oct 74°/56°F (23.3°/13.4°C) 47°/36°F (8.1°/2.2°C)
Nov 65°/50°F (18.1°/9.8°C) 36°/28°F (2.5°/-2.4°C)
Dec 57°/44°F (14.1°/6.8°C) 31°/20°F (-0.8°/-6.6°C)

Data: Hellenic National Meteorological Service Hellenic National Meteorological Service, Finnish Meteorological Institute Finnish Meteorological Institute

Can you move from Greece to Finland?

Short-stay tourist visa rules between Greece and Finland. To live, work, or study long-term in Finland, you'll need a separate residence or work visa — check Finland's immigration authority.

Greece passport

Greece passport holder visiting Finland

Visa Free
Greece passport holders can enter Finland without a visa.
Finland passport

Finland passport holder visiting Greece

Visa Free
Finland passport holders can enter Greece without a visa.

Data: Henley Passport Index. Check with the destination country's embassy for the most current requirements.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is it cheaper to live in Finland than Greece?

Day-to-day costs in Finland run about 23% higher than Greece on average; specific cities can swing further.

How much money do I need to move to Finland?

A safe rule of thumb is 3 months of local expenses plus relocation costs. On a €67,000 comparable salary, that's around €20,675 in Finland for everyday spending, before flights, shipping, a rental deposit, and visa fees.

Can I work remotely from Finland?

With 36.5 fixed broadband subscriptions per 100 people, Finland can support video calls in major cities. The hard part is paperwork — visa category, employer policy on overseas staff, and tax residency in Greece and Finland.

Is Finland safe for expats?

Greece generally does better on safety, though Finland leads in road traffic deaths. The homicide rate in Finland is 1.0 per 100,000 people, compared to 0.8 in Greece.

How is healthcare in Finland compared to Greece?

Greece generally does better on health & wellbeing, though Finland leads in health coverage index. There are 36.1 doctors per 10,000 people in Finland, compared to 65.8 in Greece. Finland scores 86 on the WHO universal health coverage index (Greece: 77).

What's the weather like in Finland compared to Greece?

The average high temperature in Helsinki is 48°F, compared to 72°F in Athens. Helsinki receives around 25.6 in of rainfall per year, while Athens gets 16.3 in.

What language do they speak in Finland?

The official languages in Finland are Finnish and Swedish. In Greece, the official language is Greek.

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At a Glance

GR FI
Population 10,413,962 5,646,436
Currency Euro (€) Euro (€)
Languages Greek Finnish, Swedish
Driving side Right Right
Calling code +30 +358
Time zones 1 1
Emergency number 112 112